Record medium.



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RECRD MEDIUM. APPLICATION FILED P31349, 190s. f f' 'No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIc-E.

EDIVIN I). CASTERLINE, OE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CASTERLINE-TALLY COMPANY, OE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RECORD MEDIUM..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,666, dated. August 2, 1904.

Application filed February I9, 1903. Serial No. 144,070. (No model.) l

To all whom, t party concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN D. CASTERLINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Record Medium, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device which may be used in the operation of automatic musicboXes, pianos, organs, or other instruments, whether operated pneumatically, electrically, mechanically, or otherwise, or which may be used in the operation of keyboards, strings, or stops, or other moving parts which may be used in the operation of moving-picture machines or other similar devices.

One object of my invention is to provide a device which does not require rewinding, as in the case of rolled record-strips, tune-sheets, films, or the like after the record has been run over, but which may be practically7 instantaneously shifted to its starting-point to recommence or which may be instantaneously shifted to any intermediate point of its length to commence at a definite point. Thus the device may contain a series of consecutive records, and the whole series may be run out sequentially, or, if desired, anyindividualrecord in the series which may be selected may be worked out from beginning to end.

Another object is to provide a record medium which secures a larg'e amount of continuous working surface with eXtreme compactness, which may be made of a large number of thin planes or connected sheets,which may be arranged horizontally to occupy a very small vertical space, which latter is of great value when the device is used in connection with musical instruments and long selections of operas and songs are to be rendered, as it does not require the periodical changing of the tune-sheets.

Another object is to provide a record-sheet consisting of a series of detachably-connected individual sheets which collectively form a continuous record and which may be readily detached. The sheets may be arranged in any desired order, which is a valuable feature in making programs, as it provides for the desired selections to be arranged in the order in which they are to be rendered.

Another object is to provide a record sheet or strip which may be used as an index and 4carry records-such, for instance, as required in libraries or which might be employed for c ataloguing items for any use.

The record strip or sheet may comprise a body in the form of a helix, and for most uses to which the sheet is applied it will be constructed of thin material, preferably which is self-supporting-a e., of a suflicient stiffness to prevent the sheet falling out of shape.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention, Figure I is a perspective view of the helical strip in its most compact form and standing alone. Fig. II is a side elevation showing the strip spread apart at a point about midway of its working length, the end portions being compact. Fig. III is a View showing` the strip in the form of a film carrying pictures such as are used in moving-picture apparatus. The center portion of the strip is shown as flattened and projected into view, while the end portion of the strip is in compact form. Fig. IV is a side view of the record-strip, showing the manner in which two individual sheets are locked together. Eig. Vis a front elevation of about two coils, showing one individual sheet connected to two other individual sheets. Eig. VI is a side elevation showing the sheet provided with a record in the form of definite perforations. Eig. VII is a sectional View through a music-box provided with the helical strip. Fig. VIII is a top View of the boX with the cover lifted.

Referring to Fig. I, l designates the helical strip or sheet, which may be of any convenient size and formed of any convenient material. For most uses the material should be thin, light, and have a certain amount of iiexibility, but should also be preferably of a material which is of sufficient stiffness to be self-supporting, so that the strip may be easily handled and will not be liable to become folded, wrinkled, stretched, or otherwise distorted.

When the sheet is used in connection with a music-box, as shown in Figs. VII and VIII, it may be formed of very thin metal. In orup of separate pieces, one piece for each coil, and fastened together by soldering or brazing. The sheet may be provided with perforations similar to those which are used in tune-sheets as ordinarily constructed of either disk or rolled-strip form. 2 designates the perforations.

Figs. VII and VIII show the strip as applied to a music-box, in which 3 designates the boX. 4 is a barrel provided with a shaft 5, each end of the shaft 5 being mounted in bearings 6, the upper walls of which are cut away. to allow for the ready insertion of the barrel. The respective ends of the barrel are provided with anges 7, which retain the strip thereon.

8 designates the usual comb with vibratory teeth. 9 designates star wheels rotatably mounted on a shaft 10, the teeth of each starwheel being movable across the end of a comb to vibrate the same. 11 is a sprocket mounted on a shaft 12, and the teeth of the sprocket engage perforations 18 in the sheet 1. The shaft 12 also carries antifriction-rollers 14, which bear against the sheet and serve to hold the sheet against the 'star-wheels 9. The shaft 12 is provided with a gear 15, Vwhich meshes with another gear 16, carried by a motor 17. In order to separate the coils and guide a single coil by the star-wheels, I provide a bifurcated spreader or stripper comprising a pair of oppositely-disposed cooperating arms 18, both of which are rigidly attached to a shaft 19, mounted in a block 20. Arms 18 are parallel and preferably superposed, having free ends curved, as at 21, in arcs which are concentric with the barrel 4.

In placing the strip in position in the box the stripper should first be tilted out of the way into the position shown -in dotted lines,

and the strip in compact form, as shown i-n- Fig. I, is slipped onto the barrel4 against one of the flanges 7, the other flange having been removed to allow of this. After the coil has been slipped on the barrel this ange is replaced and the barrel is put into the box with its shaft resting in the bearings 6. The first coil of the strip may then be separated from the pack slightly, and the stripper is dropped down so that one arm lies between the separated coil and the pack. rIhe end of the strip is then threaded between the antifriction-rollers 14 and the star-wheels 9, and the sprocket 11 falls into mesh with the perforations 13. The coil may then be given a rotation by hand to bring the end of the coil outside of the other arm ofthe stripper, and the motor 17 may then be started. This will rotate the sprocket 11, and the latter will drive the strip in the direction indicated by the arrows. As the coils of the strip are propelled by the star-Wheels 9 the teeth of the latter engage the record-perforations and are rotated one tooth at a time. The teeth of the star-wheel are so arranged c..g..g.--. kmwmm.. ...i another tooth of the star-wheel is in contact with its respective comb-tooth, and as the starwheel tooth sweeps by the end of the combtooth it iexes the latter and causes the combtooth to vibrate after the star-wheel tooth has passed it, thus producing a musical tone. The continued propulsion of the strip brings the record-perforations by the star-wheels producing the music, and the coils of the strip are gradually transferred from one side of the stripper to the other and from one end of the arbor to the other.

It will` be seen that a single coil of the strip may contain as much or nearly as much record matter as is contained on a single sheet of the disk style and that a large number of individual pieces may be rendered one-after the other without the necessity of shifting the device or changing sheets.

A large number of pieces may be arranged on a single strip, and the strip may be indexed, so that the particular piece desired may be selected and the coils spread apart at the beginning of the piece to allow the stripper-arms to fall between. The required piece may then be played, and when finished the device may be stopped. In alike manner another piece may be picked out and run through, it only being required that the coils should be parted at the required point and the arm of the stripper dropped into place.

When the strip has been run through, no time is consumed in getting it ready to repeat the record, as is the case with rolled tuneslieets or the like, which require rewinding; but the stripper is lifted and the coils pushed back almost instantaneously into position for a fresh start.

Another advantage of the spreading device just described is that it is adapted to hold an intermediate coil of the strip separate from the remainder of the strip, leaving room between the arms of the spreader for the propelling means and translating means to be placed adjacent to each other on opposite faces of the strip, so that there is no danger of a thin strip doubling up between the point where it is propelled and the point where it is resisted by the translating means. Moreover, rolled tune-sheets require to be rewound after they have been played and before being removed from the apparatus, while the helical strip is, as it were, self-winding-that is, it builds upon one end as fast as its coils separate from the other end-and after it has been run through it is ready for immediate removal from the apparatus.

Each individual piece may be carried by a strip of just sufficient length to contain the record for that particular piece, and with a series of pieces on individual lengths of strip a program may be` arranged by connecting' together the individual lengths of strips in the IOO IIO

IIS

desired order. One Way of 'connecting the strips together is shown in Figs. IV and V, in which each end edge of the strip is provided with a short tangential extension, which is folded back upon the strip, the lines of foldbeing on a radius passing from the center of the coil to its periphery, and the sections may be hooked together, as is shown in Fig. V.

- 30 designates the radial fold.

It will be seen that the strips may be hooked together in any order and that as the lines of folds are radial the natural curve of the coils is maintained irrespective of the arrangement of the order of the strips.

Vhen the sections are `connected together as just described, the thickness of the folds will not be suiiicient to cause any trouble, as the material of the strip will be extremely thin.

By constructing the strip of suitably-prepared film it may be used in moving-picture machines.

Fig. IH shows a strip of ilm provided with a picture-record as used in moving-picture apparatus. A considerable portion of the film may be projected into view and held in a plane at right angles to the coils and parallel to the axis of the coils.

The helical strip may also be used to carry records of various kinds, such as addresses, accounts, and various other memoranda.

It is obvious that the unlimited length in which the strip may be secured provides a great amount of continuous Working surfaceV and that by suitably arranging the coils composed of very thin planes the coils will occupy a slight vertical distance.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A record medium comprising a plurality of helical strips, an end of a strip being folded on itself, an `end of another strip being folded on itself, the lines of folds being radial and the folded parts engaging.

2. A record medium comprising a plurality of helical strips, an end of a strip being folded on itself, an end of another strip being folded on itself, the lines of folds being radial and the folded parts engaging and closely fitting.

3. A plurality of helical strips having folded ends, said folded ends being hooked together, records on the strips, record-translating means controlled by the strips, and means for actuating the strips.

4L. A plurality of helical strips having ends folded radially said ends being hooked together, said strips bearing records, recordtranslating means controlled by the strips, and means for actuating the strips.

5. A plurality of helical strips having ends folded radially said ends being hooked together the hooked portions tightly fitting, said strips bearing records, record-translating means controlled by the strips, and means for actuating the strips.

(i. l A helical strip, a record thereon, recordtranslating means: connected with the strip,`

bifurcated pivoted means for separating coils of the helical strip, and means for propelling the strip.

7. A helical strip, arecord thereon. recordtranslating means operatively engaging the strip, means for spreading an intermediate coil from the remainder of the strip and guidtranslating means, said spreader comprising a pair of pivoted arms mounted in fixed relation to each other which separate a coil of the strip from the others.

10. A helical strip, a record thereon, recordtranslating means connected with the helical strip, a spreader engaging a coil of the strip and means for actuating the strip and recordtranslating means, said spreader comprising a pair of pivoted arms which separate a coil of the strip from the others, the free ends of the arms being curved concentrically with the coils of the strip.

11. A helical strip, a record thereon, recordtranslating means connected with the strip,

means for propelling the strip, and superposed parallel spreader-arms embracing said translating means and propelling means.

12. A revoluble barrel, a helical strip coiled therearound, means adapted to hold an intermediate coil of the strip separate from the remainder of the strip, record translating means on one side of said intermediate coil and propelling means on the other side thereof adjacent the translating means.

13. A revolublehorizontal barrel, a helical strip coiled therearound, means adapted to hold an intermediate coil of the strip separate from the remainder of the strip, said means being adapted to be thrown out of engagement with the strip, and record means and propelling means operatively connected with said intermediate coil.

`and means for actuating the strip and record- IOO IIO

14. A helical strip provided with perforations, a shaft, asprocket mounted on the shaft engaging the strip at the perforations, antifriction-rollers carried by the shaft and bearing against the strip, said strip being provided with a record and record-translating means onthe side of the sheet opposite said shaft.

15. A helical strip provided with perforations linearly disposed, said strip bein-g provided with record-perforations, a shaft, a sprocket carried by the shaft engaging the strip at the linear perforations, means for driving said shaft, antifriction-rollers carried by said shaft and bearing against said strip, a plurality of rotatably-mounted star-wheels on the side of said strip opposite said shaft and adapted to be engaged by the record-perforations, and a comb provided With vibratory teeth which stand in the path of movement of the teeth of the star-Wheels.

16. Ahelical strip,- arecord thereon, recording translating means connected with the strip, said strip being provided with linearlydisposed perforations, a shaft, a sprocket thereon engaging the perforations, means for driving the shaft, and oppositely disposed spreader arms embracing said translating means and propelling mechanism.

17. A revoluble horizontal barrel, a helical I strip coiled thereon, means for holding an intermediate coil of the strip separate from the remainder of the strip, said means being' movable out 0f engagement with the strip, said strip being provided with perforations linearly disposed, a record carried by the strip, record-translating means engaging said strip, a shaft, a sprocket on the shaft engaging 'said linearly-disposed perforations, and means for driving said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 13th day of February, 1903.

ED/VIN D. CASTERLINE. 

